[Garage 79 – Aethertech Academy, Afternoon]
The white ceiling lights flickered faintly, as if the entire garage was reacting to the strange message glowing on the old computer screen.
The faint characters pulsed slowly:
"HELLO_RIO_its_me_Sigma.EXE"
Silence fell. The hum of the old ventilation fans stopped for a heartbeat — leaving only the buzz of static electricity and the soft echo of footsteps on metal flooring.
Rio stared at the screen, unblinking. His lips parted slightly, one hand gripping the edge of the worktable. Harusa stood beside him, leaning in to see over his shoulder.
Harusa (whispering, cautious):
"Uh… Rio… is that some kind of system file? Or did he… actually send a message from—"
Kaito (arms crossed, tone calm but razor-sharp):
"It's no coincidence. The '.EXE' extension means it's an executable program. But the question is — who could've set it to trigger automatically three days later… unless the creator himself was here?"
Rio's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Wait…" he muttered.
The screen shifted, showing a directory with one highlighted file:
"Click_here_please"
Harusa (exhales deeply):
"The most dangerous phrase in the entire digital world…"
Kaito (with a faint, knowing smirk):
"But you're still going to open it, aren't you?"
Rio only gave a crooked smile — then hit Enter.
The CRT monitor trembled slightly. A faint bzzzt sounded before lines of text began to scroll rapidly across the screen.
File Opened – Sigma Recording (Three Days Ago)
"Ohhh, hey Rio. It's me — Sigma. Relax, I already know how much you hate me."
"Heard it from school gossip. Yeah, I still have my connections, don't ask how."
"So listen — three days after reading this, come to the ruins of As-Salam Boarding School."
"And bring your weapon. We'll settle things there."
Rio froze.
The lights overhead flickered softly, filling the space with a low hum.
Rio (murmuring, voice low but heavy):
"He's… challenging me to a duel?"
Harusa (frowning, wary):
"Or maybe just wants to 'talk' — his way. But why there of all places?"
Kaito (tilting his head slightly):
"As-Salam Boarding School ruins?"
He looked between them, eyes narrowing.
"What kind of place is that, exactly?"
Harusa lowered her Karl-9A rifle from her shoulder, exhaling before answering. Her voice carried a weight rarely heard from her usual upbeat tone.
Harusa:
"It's an old school… built during the founding of Akarius City. It used to teach only the first and second generations of Muslim students."
"But they… vanished after the First Akarius War. Back then there was no bullet-resistant serum yet — the school was wiped out in a mass genocide."
She looked down, voice quieter.
"Since then, As-Salam's been closed. But its student registry somehow stayed active in the city database — even though the place is just rubble now.
Some curious students went exploring… they said they saw shadows of people among the ruins. Holding bows."
Kaito watched her silently for a moment, then nodded slowly, his tone flat yet meaningful.
"Those who could never leave the battlefield, perhaps."
Rio kept his hands resting on the keyboard.
"Sigma… why there?" he murmured under his breath.
Suddenly, the garage door creaked open.
The lights flickered once — and a figure stepped in calmly.
A young woman clad in gray-black armor with a golden bird emblem on her shield. Aru, from Primanoel Academy, stood at the entrance, holding a small notebook.
Harusa (snapping, alert):
"Huh!? What's a Primanoel student doing here!?"
Aru (calm but firm):
"I passed by and saw the door open. I came in to observe the remains of a Strider that supposedly contains classified data."
She walked forward with heavy, deliberate steps — the lights glinting off her metallic armor.
Rio (whispering to Harusa, nudging her elbow):
"This might be your chance for a spar… maybe a little duel?"
Harusa was about to retort when Kaito raised a hand, his tone steady but commanding:
"Not now."
Aru (turning politely toward Kaito):
"Flying Teacher, I mean no offense. But the chip you found… it contains the full biodata of every Primanoel student. That information must remain confidential."
Kaito studied Aru carefully — his silver-gray eyes glinting under the light, as though reading the truth beneath her words.
"Is there something you're hiding, Aru?"
Aru lowered her gaze slightly, then spoke softly, her tone respectful.
"Oh, and… I'd also like to apologize for the incident yesterday caused by my two subordinates."
Kaito smiled faintly, his tone composed yet authoritative.
"Apology accepted. Just don't let it happen again."
Aru turned toward the dormant Strider Hugo standing in the center of the garage. She set her notebook on the table, flipping through the pages while muttering under her breath.
Aru:
"The design… it's similar to Aethertech's pre-war prototypes. But why do the components look newly replaced…?"
Kaito approached slowly, his navy-blue coat trailing behind him with each measured step.
"Perhaps Sigma updated it," he said softly, "or someone using his name."
Aru glanced between Kaito, Rio, and Harusa — her expression shifting from suspicion to intrigue.
"So, are you three searching for Sigma… or for the truth about him?"
Rio met her gaze, his face calm but his eyes trembling faintly.
"Both."
A hush fell over the room.
Only the soft drone of the cooling system filled the air.
Then — the computer beeped once.
Glitchy text appeared across the dim CRT display:
"SEE_YOU_SOON_RIO"
The overhead lights began to dim, flickering weakly.
Kaito lifted his eyes toward the ceiling — then back to the silent Strider Hugo.
His expression sharpened.
He spoke quietly, but the words carried the weight of command:
Kaito:
"Sigma's game… has just begun."
A soft breeze slipped through the metal vents, carrying the scent of oil and iron dust. Kaito stood straight, arms crossed, eyes fixed on Rio — a gaze filled with unspoken meaning.
Kaito:
"Rio, before we head to those ruins… I need to know. Who else still has ties to Sigma besides you?"
Rio hesitated, lowering his head. His reflection shimmered faintly on the dusty metal floor. His fingers tapped lightly on his modified smartwatch.
"Hmm… there's someone, maybe. But I can't recall the name… all I remember is—"
He trailed off, his voice thin, as though dredging up a painful memory.
Before he could continue, Aru — standing near Strider Hugo's table — looked at them briefly and spoke politely:
"Teacher, I'll take my leave now."
Her tone was neutral, but her footsteps quickened — as if concealing something.
The moment she stepped out, Harusa narrowed her eyes.
"Teacher, let's follow her. Something about her feels off."
Kaito stayed silent, his gaze following Aru's disappearing figure around the corner. He exhaled softly.
"...Alright. Let's follow her — but quietly."
The three slipped out of the garage. Their footsteps clacked softly against the metal floor, careful not to echo.
Aru walked swiftly along the edge of the vast hangar, where rows of old Striders loomed like silent sentinels. Kaito, Harusa, and Rio hid behind one of them — the machine's massive frame cloaking them in shadow.
Through a narrow gap, they saw Aru stop near a beam of sunlight filtering through a high vent.
Five figures in black cloaks emerged from behind the wall — faces hidden beneath white masks and deep hoods.
"Aru, hand over the chip. Orders from the Chairman."
The voice was low and distorted through a mask.
Aru took half a step back, brows furrowed.
"Chairman? Which chairman are you talking about?"
One of the shadows stepped forward, bowing his head slightly.
"Chairman Charles Agharar."
Kaito stiffened immediately — his pupils widened.
"Charles Agharar…?" he whispered. His voice turned grim.
"He's supposed to be in prison. Unless… one of the Ten Fugitives escaped and is hiding in this city."
Harusa's eyes widened.
"Huh? Chairman Charles? What's his business with us!?"
She lowered her stance, her right hand gripping the handle of her Primanoel shield emblazoned with the golden bird.
One of the shadows stepped closer, weapon raised.
"You'd better obey Chairman Charles… or you'll regret it."
The barrel of a Karl semi-auto rifle gleamed, aimed squarely at Aru's chest.
Kaito moved instantly, signaling with his hand.
"Harusa — assist her!"
"On it!" Harusa barked, leaping from cover in one swift motion.
BRAKK!
Her shot hit the enemy's rifle dead-on, knocking the weapon out of his hands with a sharp metallic clang.
Rio and Kaito followed, stepping out of the shadows. Kaito stood tall, his coat rippling in the hangar's airflow.
"Stay out of this!" one of the black-cloaked attackers shouted.
Kaito advanced slowly, eyes sharp as steel.
"Just one question," he said coldly. "Where is your leader — Charles Agharar?"
The five masked figures exchanged brief glances but said nothing.
Then, one of them tossed a small smoke grenade to the ground.
Psshhhhhh—
Thick black smoke filled the area instantly. When it cleared moments later, the shadows had vanished — leaving only the acrid scent of gunpowder and iron dust.
Harusa waved a hand in front of her face.
"Damn it… they got away again."
Kaito's expression darkened. His breathing was calm, but heavy — like someone realizing a much larger game was unfolding behind the scenes.
He turned toward Aru.
"What's your connection to them?"
Aru set her shield down, her voice tense with restrained anger.
"None. They just appeared — demanded the chip, then attacked."
Kaito stood silent for a moment — his eyes lowered, lost in thought.
"Charles Agharar…" he muttered.
"If he truly gave the order… something big is about to happen in this city."
Harusa slung her rifle over her shoulder with a half-smirk.
"Guess we'd better stay alert, Teacher. If one of the fugitives is involved, this isn't going to be a small matter."
Rio adjusted his cracked goggles, eyes focused on the flickering screen of his smartwatch.
"Hmmm… I'm starting to dislike where this story's headed," he muttered dryly, his trademark sarcasm intact. "But… it's getting interesting."
Kaito looked at them — his students, his allies — and spoke in a low, commanding tone.
"We'll continue the investigation once I've confirmed that Sigma's location is secure. But until then… stay ready. The city's gears are moving — and I don't like where they're turning."
The hangar wind whispered once more, carrying the scent of warm metal and the faint vibration of a still-active Strider in the corner.
Their shadows — Kaito, Harusa, and Rio — stretched long across the steel floor, marking the beginning of a new and dangerous chapter in their investigation.